


(Lick My) Candy Cane

by sleepy_sendhelp



Series: The Sixth Love Language [10]
Category: The Last Hours Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boys In Love, Fluff, M/M, Will is everyone’s dad basically, is this considered crack? idk how to define crack i dont think this is it?, we can take the gracelet off without cortana guys all we need is matthew
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 08:55:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28935882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepy_sendhelp/pseuds/sleepy_sendhelp
Summary: Matthew valiantly tries to stop James from giving himself diabetes.
Relationships: Matthew Fairchild/James Herondale
Series: The Sixth Love Language [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1907059
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	(Lick My) Candy Cane

**Author's Note:**

> I am well aware that it’s past Christmas!!! Still though HAHAH — ooh also slight nsfw?? Not really, just puns and innuendoes but if you’re not someone who appreciates those kind of jokes this fic might not be for you :( Also idc if they’re parabatai okay?? No curses here! I also could not think of other titles and summaries so forgive me for that I swear this fic is cute skhjdfbhsdb

“Don’t your hands feel sticky? I bet they’re sticky.” Matthew said, sitting across from James. There was a candy cane clutched between his two hands, half gone and the rest melting on his parabatai’s hands. Matthew couldn’t decide if James looked like a child or a very suggestive almost-adult.

“You look very inappropriate right now.” Matthew decided. James was bobbing his head up and down, slobbering his saliva all over the lengthwise candy and looking as glum as a thunder cloud. His dark, messy hair and golden eyes helped Matthew envision the image.

“Come on, what’s wrong with you? Lucie tells me you’ve been like this all day!” Still no response. Well, Matthew supposed it’s time to bring out the big guns. He sighed and reached over the kitchen island, placing his hands on James’ head and pushing it down.

“Oh, James! Harder! Yeah, that’s it!” Matthew screamed. James choked on the candy. He started slapping Matthew with his sticky hands.

“Ew, gross! Get those away from me you sick, sick, man!”

“This is your fault!” James finally spoke. “Why do you have to be so, so, so, shameless?” Each word was punctuated with a sticky slap to his shoulder.

“These are new clothes, what is wrong with you?!” Matthew scowled and headed for the sink to wash off James’ saliva.

“How is that my fault? That is not my fault, it’s survival instincts kicking in because you thought it would be fun to turn a nice afternoon into a porn shoot!”

“By the Angel, you kiss your mother with that mouth?” Matthew dodged the last stub of candy cane hurled his way. It bounced off of the faucet and lodged itself down the sink’s drain.

“I’m not touching that.” He told James. “Please take this as an opportunity to clean yourself up.”

James huffed and stomped over to the sink like a grumpy child who was deprived of his candy. Which was ironic. Matthew leaned back on the sink while James cleaned up. He waited patiently for the other boy to speak up.

“Grace isn’t coming to London for the holidays.”

“That’s not exactly a surprise, is it?” Matthew was glad she couldn’t. He’d always felt uncomfortable around the strange girl. Sure, it must be hard to have been raised by Tatiana Blackthorn of all people — she wasn’t exactly mother material — but still. That wasn’t it. He never said anything because James was too enamoured to be convinced to stay away from the ghoulish Blackthorn. If he tried badmouthing her in anyway he’d probably get more than a slobbery stub of candy cane to the head. Matthew touched his hair self-consciously.

“I know.” James agreed. “Still, we really thought we had a chance. Tatiana had been in good spirits.”

Matthew placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Internally though, he was throwing the wildest party in celebration. The booze was overflowing, though it felt like he didn’t need alcohol to lift his spirits at the moment.

“What does the candy cane have to do with this?” he asked James.

“She sent me some as compensation or something.” The hand on his shoulder gripped harder as Matthew sent James a horrified look.

“Were you...” James’ brows furrowed. “Pretending the candy was Gra— ow! Ow! Stop pinching!”

“Get. Your. Head. On. Straight!”

“This is child abuse!” Matthew whined. James scoffed.

“Oh please, I wouldn’t go that far. Maybe I’d take animal abuse but let’s be real, you’re barely an Earthly creature, are you?” Matthew clicked his tongue and knew it wasn’t anything personal. It was frustrating though, he knew he was beautiful. Why can’t James and his gorgeous eyes see that?

“I knew you fancied me.” He teased instead. “Let me tell you a secret,” he got uncomfortably close to James, and stuck his tongue in his ear.

“Matthew!” soon Matthew was caught in a headlock and he struggled for his life as cold, wet hands attempted to bring him into an early grave. He felt the cold metal of Grace’s bracelet on James’ wrist and Matthew couldn’t help but roll his eyes even as his life flashed before him.

“Boys!” they both froze at the sound of Will Herondale’s boys. James’ father was standing in the kitchen’s doorway, his arms shoved in his pockets and an amused smile on his face. “It’s a joy watching you two scuffle around in good fun, really — but can you do it without dirtying the kitchen? We wouldn’t want to give Bridget a harder time would we?”

The boys separated from each other and stood straight. “Yes father.” They said in unison. Will nodded, satisfied. He hummed happily as he walked away without another word.

——————————————————

It had been three days. Matthew sighed. He was sulking in the Institute’s library like the angsty teenager he was. Surprisingly, James was not holed up in the room too. He was probably off somewhere, sucking on a candy cane and bringing people an... interesting sight to see.

Matthew Fairchild was beautiful, wasn’t he? Everyone else said so. Even faeries said so, and faeries were supposed to be very well-versed in beauty and charms. Everyone seemed to notice except for the one person Matthew needed to look at him.

Sure, James met him when he was in still his early teens. All sharp and gangly limbs and concealed awkward movements but he’d outgrown it now. Years of training had paid off and given him grace and defined muscles. If James was into blondes then shouldn’t Matthew be the right pick? He was the better blond compared to the Blackthorn girl, and it was all because he was allowed to go out into the sun and therefore didn’t look like he could blend right in with the bones in the Silent City.

Matthew pressed his cheek against the cool glass of the window and closed his eyes.

James pushed the doors to the library open and found Matthew asleep by the window. Warm afternoon light outlined his form and softened his features. The bracelet that Grace gave him felt colder as approached his dozing parabatai. James ignored it.

Matthew was breathing steadily, his exhales coming out in soft snores. James laughed softly. It may be a bit weird, but he liked watching Matthew asleep. His walls were down, and there were no false charms to hide the real thing.

James reached out and traced a finger over the curve of Matthew’s cheek. Matthew liked to brag about losing all his baby fat, saying that he was allowed to drink because he was mature enough but James begged to differ. He lightly poked the soft skin of his face until Matthew stirred.

“What do you want?” he murmured, light green eyes unfocused as they opened to meet James’ golden ones.

“I don’t know.” James said truthfully. He didn’t mean to wake him, but he liked touching him. Matthew wasn’t exactly a light sleeper so James must have gotten carried away and had woken him by accident. “I’m sorry, you can go back to sleep now.”

“I will when you stop being so obsessed with Grace Blackthorn.”

“I’m not obsessed with her.” Matthew turned his face away from him and James sorely missed the sight of a sleepy Matthew. He threaded his fingers through his soft hair instead. Matthew pursed his lips.

“Don’t touch me.”

“Don’t be like that.” James pouted. Matthew faced him again and sent him a weak glare.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” Matthew reached up and pulled on James’ arm, the resulting whine was adorable enough to tug on James’ heartstrings. Matthew’s hair was caught in the bracelet. Matthew was too pretty for his own good.

James chuckled before removing the bracelet to free Matthew’s hair. It snapped open and something inside him did too.

“Jamie? Why are you looking at me like that?” James felt like Pandora’s box. Wide open, with all the bad things that’s ever happened to him expelled and gone out into the world. The weird, sick feeling he didn’t know he got used to was gone and James felt light, light, light. Like Matthew’s hair. Like Matthew’s smile. Like Matthew’s curious eyes.

“Grace made me sick.” James revealed with astonishment. He looked at the inscription on the bracelet once more since wearing it. He wanted to throw himself out on the Thames.

Matthew took the thing from him and read the inscription himself.

“Oh darling,” He teased. “You poor, poor, idiotic thing.”

James wrinkled his nose at the sweetly delivered insult. He saw Matthew pucker up and lean in to undoubtedly give him a sloppy kiss for this weird role he’s trying to play. James grabbed his chin and redirected Matthew’s lips to meet his own. The confused grunt broke the kiss as James smirked at the disgruntled Matthew.

“Is this a dream?” Matthew demanded. “Don’t play with my heart like this Herondale.” He jokingly threatened. Unsurprisingly, James heard the truth underneath the light tone of his voice. He could respond in two ways, but he decided that there was a time for games and this moment was not one for playing around.

The hand gripping Matthew’s chin trailed upwards to cup his cheek, and the other steeled itself on Matthew’s thigh. James kissed Matthew lightly. Tentatively. Hoping he didn’t misread the situation. Not when Matthew’s lips were soft and fit nicely onto his. Not when he feels like he can melt along with the sunlight pooling on the library’s floor around them.

“Well this is just unfair.” They jumped apart to see Will by the doors of the library along with Tessa and Lucie who was tapping her foot expectantly. “How come Jamie gets to kiss his parabatai and I didn’t? Not even once!” Tessa lightly smacked the back of her husband’s head.

“Pay up, William.” Lucie looked at her parents incredulously as they discussed the terms of Will’s payment.

“You made a bet and didn’t include me?” Will kissed his daughter’s forehead.

“We’ll include you in gambling activites when you’re older. For now let’s go get our books and leave the lovebirds alone.” The boys blushed at the wink that was sent their way. James took back the hand that he suddenly remembered was still on Matthew’s cheek.

After a few moments of hushed giggling, the rest of the family finally shuffled out of the library and left the pair of boys alone once again.

James hesitantly tore his gaze off the doors and found Matthew’s face closer to his than it had been. James gulped, his confidence taking a dip at the rise of Matthew’s.

“So,” Matthew began. “now that we’ve established our undying love for each other, there is but only one rule.” He held an index finger up. James waited wearily for the next sentence. The twinkle in Matthew’s eyes tells him he’s about to say something ridiculous.

“You’re now only allowed to lick my, and no one else’s, candy— ow! James!”

“Shut up.” James grumbled, shutting him up with another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, the curse is broken through true love, common sense, and tangled hair! Figured James just didn’t have a reason to remove the bracelet so the thought never occured to him or something. But obviously since Matthew’s hair was in danger, he *had* to remove it okay? Please don’t ask me what timeline this is I know the dialogue wasn’t pish-poshy enough because I thought it would be funnier with modern dialogue and stuff sidfnhisdf also yes, I needed to add a lil bit of ot3/heronstairs at the end and lastly I feel like there’s too much exclamation points in this fic but whatever HAHAHAH — thank you for reading! comments and kudos are encouraged and very much appreciated! Also, come find me on tumblr, my writing blog is @sleepie-scribbles and my main is @sleepy-sendhelp <3


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